It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:26How often do we want instant deliverance out of the trouble we are experiencing? We may even have thoughts such as “since God is God, then He should take me out of this trouble now!” We reason that we should not experience any degree of discomfort especially since a Loving God is in control of everything. Sometimes in these moments, it would behoove us to remember that God may not instantly deliver us from an uncomfortable situation but He is still God and He will walk with us through that situation because He never leaves us or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). Our hope ultimately is ALWAYS in Him! God did not prevent Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from going into the fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel but He walked with them through the fire and they came out without the smell of smoke (Daniel 3:25) knowing God in a greater way! I am not sure of the difficulties you may be facing this week but God cares about what you are going through. God is working everything out for your good (Romans 8:28) and He is God!

What we believe often becomes our reality! For example, if a person believes that they cannot succeed in something they will fail in their mind before they ever get started with the task. Similarly, if we believe that God is a God of love and grace we will experience more and more of God's love and grace in our lives and circumstances. The Bible is clear that God is love (1 John 4:8) and John 1:17 says that "grace and truth came" in the form of Jesus Christ! If we believe that God is harsh, mad at us, and constantly judging us often we will look at everything through those lens and that becomes our reality. On the other hand, if we accept what the Bible says about His love and grace, we will look at every situation and circumstance through that lens. Let us encourage those we encounter this week that "those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17). Simply receiving God's abundant free gift of grace is the key to reigning over circumstances and in life!

God is in our past despite our past regrets and He is in our future in spite of our future concerns! God refers to himself as "I AM" because he lives in the eternal present (Exodus 3:14). We need not regret the past because He is in our past rewriting it and has a way of restoring years to us (Joel 2:25). Similarly, we need not fear what tomorrow holds because Jesus is already in our future making preparations for us (Isaiah 46:10 and Exodus 23:23). It goes without saying that God is in our present because HE IS. The Bible accurately denotes that "our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow" cannot separate us from the Lord (Romans 8:38 NLT). Do not to regret the past or worry about tomorrow because God is there!

So many people today mistakenly believe that God is punishing them for something they did wrong in the past. They rationalize that if they had not made a particular mistake, that perhaps they would not be experiencing the difficulty that they are presently faced with. God is not punishing us though (Isaiah 54:9) and He is ALWAYS on our side (Romans 8:31 and Hebrews 13:5). While all challenges and difficulties do not necessarily come from God, He will allow them in our lives at times to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) because of His great love for us. The preceding verse, Romans 8:28, explains that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God will work good even out of our shortcomings! Know that God is not punishing you with the current difficulty but that HE will ultimately work everything out for your good!

And God said, let us make man in our image, and after our likeness: and let them have dominion. Genesis 1:26God created you in His image. Once you have been born again by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are just as much like God as Jesus was. In your born again spirit, you are just as pure as Jesus regardless of the mistakes you may have made because the Spirit of God has taken up residence on the inside of you! God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and can overcome any circumstance. Below are some Scriptures that will help you realize your true identity...And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail. Deuteronomy 28:13He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. 1 Peter 2:9You can do all things through Christ which strengths you. Philippians 4:13Go out today functioning and operating in your true identity which is a winner!

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrews 4:11

We only have one main job as Believers of Jesus Christ. Some might say that we should pray more, increase our giving, or show the love of God to others. While all of these things are great and the natural fruit of being a Christian, our goal above all else should be to rest in the Lord and allow Him to fight our battles for us (Exodus 14:14)! The word "labour" as used in Hebrews 4:11 is the Greek word "spoudazo" which means to make effort, be prompt or earnest, and to endeavor. Regardless of the problems we are confronted with, we should be prompt and make effort to cast our cares on Him knowing that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Essentially, our job is to rest in Him believing that God rescues His people from all their troubles (Exodus 18:8). When we rest in God, the second part of Hebrews 4:11 informs us that we will not "fall after the same example of unbelief" as the Children of Israel did while journeying from Egypt to the Promised Land (Exodus). Through the grace of God, let us not worry or try to fix situations but simply rest in Him!

And this is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3

The only thing that can satisfy us is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, period! You will not find satisfaction in a church, church organization, or any other group. While it is true that the Bible instructs us as Believers to not forsake the assembling of ourselves among other Believers (Hebrews 10:25), churches and church groups are only meant to point us to Christ and help deepen our relationship with Him. Churches alone cannot bring fulfillment in and of themselves. The Bible also admonishes us not to have only a form of godliness but deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). By all means attend and support your local church but expect lasting and true fulfillment only from your relationship with Christ!

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have probably heard about the importance of having faith. You have probably heard statements such as “faith is the currency of the kingdom” and that “in order to receive anything from God you must have faith.” These types of statements often put unnecessary pressure on people. When people fail to receive the healing, finances, or things that they have been believing for, they reason that they didn’t have enough faith and this assertion leads to frustration and condemnation. The good news is that we do not need to live by our own human faith. The Bible is clear that “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). In Romans 4:3, we are told that “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of HIS faith.” Abraham was considered righteous only after he was given God’s very own faith and not his own human faith! The Bible also explains that “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). God’s Word itself contains all the faith we need to bring His promises to pass in our lives! Additionally, today’s Scripture is clear that we live by “the faith of the Son of God.” We are to rest in Christ and allow Him to live out His life through as a Born Again Believers. Rest in Christ on today and know that He will give you His faith to bring to pass the healing, finances, relationship restoration, or things you need!

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6

It does not matter who has rejected you or might be rejecting you on today because God accepts you! Really think about that for a moment. Almighty God (Genesis 17:1) the Creator of Heaven and Earth (Isaiah 40:28) accepts you! The One who flung the sun in the sky and put the earth in outer space suspended by nothing except the Word of His power loves you and is pleased with you because of His Son Jesus's sacrifice on the cross on your behalf. Too often, we seek acceptance from man instead of receiving the acceptance of God which is all that really matters. Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, "Your approval means nothing to me" (John 5:41, NLT) because He knew that He had the only acceptance that really mattered from God His Father. It does not matter if an ex-spouse, parent, friend, colleague or anyone else has rejected you on today. God accepts you and because He sits on High and controls the entire universe, He can turn things around in your favor and for your good (Romans 8:28)!

And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Mark 11:20

This week’s Scripture is taken from the account of when Jesus passed by the fig tree that was not bearing any fruit (Mark 11:13). Since Jesus found there was no fruit, He cursed it (Mark 11:14) and when He cursed the tree it dried up from the roots! We all experience issues in our lives that seem to continually resurface. During these times, we must trust God enough and be courageous enough to face the issue and get to the root of the problem. We must do this no matter how painful it may be and make any necessary adjustments that the Holy Spirit brings to light. The Bible is clear that if the root be holy, so are the branches (Romans 11:16). When an issue continues to resurface, it may indicate that God wants a person to manage their money more effectively for example, be content with what they have, be more committed to relationships, or even terminate certain relationships. Ultimately, the root of virtually every issue we face is that we must learn to trust God! Trusting God more may mean relinquishing control of a marriage and allowing God to work in it or committing a wayward child into the hands of the Lord. When we trust in the Lord (Psalms 37:3), we will have the right results (Proverbs 3:5-6). Let us trust God and be courageous enough to face resurfacing issues, get to the root of them, and make the necessary adjustments!

I want to say thank you for saving my life! The young lady I spoke with gave me the greatest thing needed and prayed with me, sincerely prayed with me! I'm back on track with Jesus and continue to say thank you for you all and His grace and salvation! Because of Him y'all were able to save me!! Thank you again! God bless. -Kursten Britton

Morris Purnell

Click below to hear the powerful audio interview of a man that overcame the temptation to commit suicide and is now a Pastor.

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I want to say thank you for saving my life! The young lady I spoke with gave me the greatest thing needed and prayed with me, sincerely prayed with me! I'm back on track with Jesus and continue to say thank you for you all and His grace and salvation! Because of Him y'all were able to save me!! Thank you again! God bless.

-Kursten Britton

Thank you. I am doing very well compared to 1 year ago. That is due to God's grace and His reminder I was given a second chance. I do not lose sight of that. Keep doing what you are doing. God Bless all of you.